The use of electronic/radio frequency (RF) article surveillance devices has become extremely widespread, particularly on retail products for security purposes. However, despite such widespread use, RF devices are fairly expensive, in part because they involve the manufacture of the device in one operation and, in a second, separate operation, adding other enhancements like European Article Numbering (EAN) or Universal Product Code (UPC) bar codes and holograms for product authentication purposes. Yet another operation is, then required to affix the RF tag or combined tag to merchandise or packaging materials. U.S. Pat. No. 3,938,044, incorporated herein by reference, shows one prior art device for use in an electronic security system wherein a resonant tag circuit is sensed to denote an alarm condition. The device includes an antenna system which senses the presence of a resonant tag circuit and, upon such sensing, can automatically activate a deactivation field for destruction of the resonant properties of the tag circuit at its sensing frequency and provide output indication that tag deactivation has been achieved.
Although integration of a RF EAS tag with a hologram for authentication purposes is a desirable means of conserving package real estate, the electromagnetic radiation required for the RF circuit would be occluded by the presence of an embossed hologram sheet produced by the methods described in prior art.
It is believed that the present invention incorporates advantages not available in that or any other prior art. Other patents which disclose various methods for forming an RF device or resonant tag labeling system include U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,913,219; 4,498,076; 4,846,922; 5,485,154; 5,479,172; 5,446,447; 5,500,651; 5,457,461; and 5,751,256.